Thrice Defied
by Fresh Water Plimpy
Summary: A three part installment of the three times James and Lily defied Voldemort before their demise, according to the prophecy. Constructive criticism welcome.
1. Chapter 1: Once

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: This is a three-part installment of the times that James and Lily Potter defied Voldemort before their demise.**

* * *

Once

Lily Evans and James Potter were crouched behind an over-turned table, both of them shaking with fear as they heard the quiet approach of someone coming up the garden path of the house that they were in.

Lily tried to swallow the scream that was threatening to give her and James' position away. James took her hand, squeezing her fingers, trying to reassure his girlfriend that they still had a chance of survival. They were together, just as they'd promised each other before they burst in on the torture of Marlene McKinnon…

…_Marlene had been sat at home, enjoying a rare moment alone of peace and quiet before a meeting with James and Lily. She had just turned the wireless on and had settled into her favourite armchair with a hot cup of tea, when there had been a knock at the door. Thinking it was her friends and forgetting about safety, she called to them that the door was open and they could come in. When she looked up she saw three masked figures, each of them pointing their wands at her._

_She had put up a fight, determined not to give in. She was on her last legs, about to either die or be driven into insanity as the three Death Eaters tortured her, laughing at her, enjoying her pain, when James and Lily burst in, wands out, firing hexes and jinxes at the Death Eaters. The fight that followed had resulted in Marlene's death as a beam of green light bounced off the mirror above the mantle and hit her square in the chest…_

Her body now lay in the middle of the room, defeated beyond repair. The front door creaked open and Lily gasped. James was taking deep calming breaths, trying to reassure himself that they were going to make it out alive. He needed to stay alive. He had promised himself that he would ask Lily to marry him. He needed to ask her. He needed her to say yes. It was either now or maybe never.

"Lily," he whispered, "I know now is not the best time, but I can't live without you. I want some incentive to get us out of this mess. I'm asking you to marry me, Lily."

She looked sideways at him, eyes wide with shock, hardly daring to believe that she was being proposed to when they could die at any minute. "You're right, this isn't the best time, James," she hissed. Then she saw the hurt look on James' face and added, "But that doesn't mean I won't answer. Yes. Yes, I will marry you. Now get us out of this!"

"_Homenum Revelio_!" A high cold voice pierced the air, making them quake with fear. This couldn't be happening! They hadn't been expecting Voldemort to turn up. Lily's breath hitched in her throat and James stopped breathing altogether. "I know you're in here! Now come out and I may just spare your life." His voice was getting nearer, the sound of his shoes making only the slightest of noise, his robes rustling as he stepped farther into the hallway.

"We're not going to get out of this," Lily whispered, squeezing James' fingers so tightly that he raised his eyebrows at her. Before she could say anything else, the door to the room swung open, making their hearts pound frantically as death came nearer. They lifted their wands and James mouthed, "One…Two…THREE!" They jumped out from behind their table as they both shouted, "_Stupefy_!"

Voldemort deflected their spells, sending something more sinister back. James pushed Lily to the ground so that the beam of green light narrowly missed them. When she was out of range, James made an armchair charge at Voldemort, but it burst into flames before it reached him, before turning into a giant, deadly snake that lunged at James to bite; who Transfigured it into a length of rope and sent it back as a lasso -

There was a ear-splitting crash as the wall blew apart to reveal Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore…

**

* * *

**

A/N: A review would be wonderful :)


	2. Chapter 2: Twice

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter**

**A/N: Part deux.**

* * *

Twice

James ran through the warring crowd, screaming Lily's name, trying to find her to make sure she was safe. His fear only heightened when no answering voice called back to him to tell him she was alive. "Lily! Where are you? Lily!"

He searched the faces of the people he passed, taking note of the masked figures and the members of the Order: Sirius; Remus; Mad-Eye; Arthur; Dedalus Diggle; Frank and Alice Longbottom…

He didn't know how long he spent dodging curses, trying to find a gap to escape from the crowd. He needed to find her. Their wedding was in just a few short weeks and there was no way he was going to let some maniac ruin their day for them. Suddenly, he saw a gap and struggled toward it. Stumbling into the open space he saw, to his complete horror, Lord Voldemort trapping his fiancé against the side of a building, wand pointing straight at her, a murderous glint in his eye.

"LILY!" He saw her eyes close at his shout, preparing herself for the end that was sure to come, cringing into the wall as though she wished she could melt into it and come out the other side.

James' bellow caught the attention of Dumbledore, who twirled round and shouted above the noise, "Tom!" It was just the distraction James needed. Voldemort flinched at the name and turned to face the only man he had ever feared, ignoring the red-hair woman against the wall, his teeth bared as he prepared to duel. James ran forward and grabbed Lily around the waist before turning on the spot and reappearing in an alleyway somewhere in the middle of London.

Lily slumped in his arms, crying into his chest. At first he thought he may have Splinched her, but after giving the once-over he found that she was intact and just as perfect as ever. He held her tightly, never feeling more relieved and grateful than at this moment. They were both safe and nothing could hurt them, so long as they were together.

"Shh, Lily. It's okay," he whispered soothingly. "We're safe, no one's going to find us here." He stroked her hair, muttering under his breath.

"Oh, James. That was so scary. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She stretched up on her toes, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Eventually, James broke the embrace and looked down into her emerald green eyes and whispered, "Our wedding couldn't come soon enough. I love you." Taking her chin gently in his hand, he tilted her head up and claimed her lips as his own.

* * *

**A/N: You know you want to review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Thrice

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter**

**A/N: Ze final chapter!**

* * *

Thrice

The battle that surrounded them raged on in the wheat field just south of London. Voldemort was dueling Remus and Sirius, whilst Dumbledore was fighting four Death Eaters at once. When James had been hit with a misfired curse he had fallen down unconscious. Lily hadn't realised at first, but when she'd stumbled over someone laying on the ground she saw that it was her husband of almost eleven months. She managed to drag him away from harm to the relative safety of a large oak tree at the edge of the field. She laid him down at the base of the tree and let go of the tears she had been fighting back.

"James! Wake up! Please, you promised me you wouldn't die. James, please!" Lily lay sobbing over the body of her husband, hands clenched into fists that grabbed the front of his robes as though they were life-lines. The sounds of the battle were drowned out as she cried for her husband.

There was a rustling sound behind her, but she paid no attention. She needed her husband to wake up. Managing to control her crying, she choked out, "James, you have to wake up! You need to wake up! I'm pregnant, James. You're going to be a daddy, James. Please, we need you!"

The rustling came nearer, scaring Lily this time. She couldn't die, not now that she was going to have a baby. Looking round she saw, to her complete and utter horror, none other than Severus Snape. "No! Sev, don't do this. Please don't. It's me! Lily!"

He looked down at her, revulsion clear on his face, but somewhere behind his eyes was another emotion. There was conflict and he didn't know which to act on. "Move, Li - Evans. M-move, now!"

Lily shook her head, pleading with her once best friend. "Sev, I'm begging you! I forgive you. Just don't do this." Her whole body shook with her sobbing, tears blinding her. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and saw Snape look past the tree as someone called his name. "Please."

He looked back at her, whispered, "I'm sorry," and sent a silent Stunning Spell at her before Disapparating, the sound of his disappearance as loud as a gun shot in the suddenly still morning air.

* * *

**A/N: Finite! All that's left now is to review... :)**


End file.
